MARSHFIELD - Every day, Shauna Weinfurtner thanks God that the city has a shelter for homeless families.

"If it wasn't for this place, I don't know what we would do," Weinfurtner said. "It wouldn't be good.

"Since we came here, my kids can be kids, they have good food, nutritious food to eat, and they know we aren't going to be homeless because we were evicted, again."

Since the Frederic Ozanam Transitional Shelter opened in Marshfield two years ago in April, there has not been a day when it is has not been home to at least one family. The facility is run by the city's St. Vincent de Paul organization and the shelter provides a supportive Christian environment but places no religious requirements on participants.

"This place is a blessing for many people," said Kari Hendrickson, the shelter's director.

During its first two years, the shelter has served 92 families — more than 500 adults and children. The yearly budget is about $175,000 and is supported by the Marshfield Area United Way and hundreds of business and community donations. The transitional shelter can house up to 14 families at a time with a maximum of 82 people.

Most families come to the shelter after being evicted which is why the facility isn't full during the winter and early spring months, she said.

"Landlords aren't evicting people when it's cold outside, but come summer, this place will be full and we'll have a waiting list," Hendrickson said.

An annual winter moratorium prohibits utility companies from disconnecting utilities Nov. 1 through April 15. When the moratorium is lifted, many people in financial straits seek shelter elsewhere, she said.

Until a few years ago, Weinfurtner and her husband had owned a home in central Wisconsin, but lost it when they were unable to make the mortgage payments. Weinfurtner, who has been addicted to heroin for 14 years, had derailed from recovery and was spending their savings on drugs. Her craving for heroin soon exceeding savings and instead of paying bills, she was buying drugs, Weinfurtner said.

After they lost their home, the family was evicted from four rental homes and lived in various budget motels and shelters before finding the Frederic Ozanam Transitional Shelter. Weinfurtner is originally from Marshfield; she and her family had been living in the Wausau region after they lost their home.

"When you've been evicted four times, there's isn't any landlord that will rent to you," she said. The couple has three children who live with them in the shelter.

"Thankfully, my husband has a good job and he's a hard worker. Coming (to the transitional shelter) is giving us another chance," Weinfurtner said. "We'll be able to use the shelter as a (rental) reference when we look for a place."

Since coming to the shelter in September, Weinfurtner said she's stayed clean and that the staff routinely monitors whether she's using drugs. The shelter's caseworker also checks that Weinfurtner is complying with the expectations that she goes to three or more Narcotics Anonymous meetings a week, is completing life skills classes and daily chores at the shelter.

The shelter's rules and strict policy of enforcing the rules gives her the structure she needs to maintain her recovery, Weinfurtner said.

"Believe me, I am working my program here," she said. "Everyone here is helping me to do it."

The primary focus of the shelter is to move families from homelessness to self-sufficiency by reducing their dependence on public assistance, improving their living skills and, eventually, securing permanent housing, Hendrickson said.

The program takes about four months or fewer to complete, Hendrickson said.

Weinfurtner and her husband completed the program and the family is participating in a new program at the shelter which is a less intensive program from the traditional four-month program.

"We found there are times when people have difficulties transitioning from living in the shelter to permanent housing, so the program (Weinfurtner and her family are participating in) extends their stay at the shelter, they pay some of the program fees and they set up a plan to pay (past due rent from evictions)," Hendrickson said.

While April is the second anniversary of the shelter, it is also the first anniversary for Hendrickson in the role of director. Under her leadership the facility also has implemented an alcohol or drug abuse, or AODA, program at the shelter.

"It's good to have AODA on-site since people can be perfectly fine when they initially come here to live and then fall into those old habits," Hendrickson said. "We give them a choice and everyone I have asked to do AODA has chosen to do it."

The facility no longer uses state or federal grants, which allows it to choose to help people in the Marshfield community, Hendrickson said.

"With federal and state money you have to accept anyone from wherever they come from and our goal is to be community-based," she said. "We get so much support from our community that it is important to keep it that way."